Hairdo – Oil on Canvas by Cornelie Wolff

Hairdo – Oil on Canvas

Dimensions: 121 cm x 152 cm x 4 cm

Medium: Oil

A powerful and emotionally rich oil on canvas portrait. Moving beyond the soft abstraction of her series work, Wolff presents a direct, intimate study of a young girl whose expressive features command attention.

The title finds its focus in the girl’s magnificent, voluminous hair, rendered with an almost tactile realism—each curl is a dynamic, dark flourish that frames her face like a glorious, natural crown. This striking detail contrasts vividly with the gentle, atmospheric backdrop of soft white and pale, cool blue.

‘Hairdo’ is an unforgettable artwork that marries photorealistic detail with profound emotional depth. It is a striking and soulful celebration of beauty, youth, and the magnetic intensity of a child’s unspoken thoughts.

Oil on Canvas

Cornelie Wolff Approaching Art from a Different Angle

This Johannesburg-based artist started as a pharmacist.  After completing her Honours Degree in Psychology, she joined Helios to further her skills in Art Therapy.   During this time, she fell in love with art, the process and the emotional power it yields.

While raising her family, which consisted of three young children, she took part-time classes with Rika de Klerk and Willie Jacobs.  She also attended workshops led by Koos Bronkhorst, Niel Moss, Willie Jacobs, Rentia Coetzee, Ruth Walters, Elize Bezuidenhout, Douw van Heerden, Charla Maarschalk, and Jennifer McChristian.

Today, she practices what she preaches by creating her work under the motto: “With every painting I complete, I grow as a person and an artist.”

My art is created from a place of wonder – it is my dream for every human to never completely lose the child inside them, because it is our ability to see wonder and magic in things.  I use bold brushstrokes, contrast and an impressionistic approach to entice the viewer to create their own interpretation of the subject and become part of my world.